Last night was a bit of a turd in the punchbowl for Major League Soccer, as the MLS All Stars lost to Roma 3-1 in Kansas City.
But the silver lining to that turd (let's leave the metaphor there) is that MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced at halftime that the league would add four expansions teams by the end of the decade.
With plenty of buzz already this summer about David Beckham starting up a team down here, Miami seems set for a soccer revival.
See also:
- David Beckham Could Be Close To Bringing An MLS Team Back to Miami
According to the league's website, Miami is on a shortlist of potential expansion locations. Other cities include Orlando, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Sacramento.
It's conceivable, therefore, that we could have three MLS teams in the Southeast -- and two in Florida -- within the next seven years.
"As MLS enters a period of accelerated growth, the addition of new teams will allow us to expand our geographic coverage, grow our fan base, and help us achieve our vision of being among the best leagues in the world by 2022," Garber said last night.
In early June, Beckham visited Miami, caught a Heat playoff game, and hung out with Marcelo Claure. The Bolivian billionaire has been a vocal proponent of bringing soccer back to Miami after the Fusion folded in 2001.
Last month, rumors began swirling in British tabloids that Beckham had decided to exercise his $25 million option and pull the trigger on a team in the Magic City.
If a new fútbol franchise materializes in Miami, Beckham and company will have to come up with a better name than the Miami Fusion.
Hurricanes is already taken, but what about the South Beach White Squalls? The Miami Mango Thieves? Or the Peninsular Pingus?
